1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to food products and packaging therefor and more particularly to a novel food product which serves as a bowl and is suitable for stacking so as to be packaged in a convenient and space-saving fashion.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In the past, it has been the conventional practice to serve food in a bowl so that it is convenient for the consumer to hold the food and to remove the food from the bowl in small portions. Such bowls or shells are usually made from a consumable product such as flour or corn materials and are generally formed with a plurality of convolutions in a circular sidewall which is held together by a common base or bottom. The plurality of convolutions are not of equal diameter and the convolutions are not evenly spaced apart so that the integral strength of the sidewall is only as strong as the weakest convolution or separation between convolutions. Also, the structural integrity of the circular sidewall is adversely affected by providing the surfaces of the sidewall with irregularities so that load distribution is uneven. The same disadvantage is experienced by the common base or bottom which suffers from structural weakness due to surface irregularities and uneven attachment with the irregular convolutions of the sidewall.
Because of the fragile sidewall construction, it is difficult to serve such a bowl or shell with food to an awaiting customer, and more particularly, it is difficult to stack or nest a plurality of shells together for shipment or transportation from place to place. Inasmuch as the convolutions of standard bowls or shells are uneven, a plurality of such bowls or shells cannot be placed in alignment for space-saving purposes which would normally permit easy packaging. Also, inasmuch as the sidewall is weakened, breakage frequently occurs so that packaging and shipping in quantity present a difficult problem. Some prior packaging techniques include the placement of cushion or spacers between adjacent ones of the bowls or shells so that they do not touch or transfer loads directly. Other attempts may include the provision of elaborate holders, spacers and specially configured trays which are extremely expensive and require assembly procedures. Such procedures do not lend themselves to automatic counting, packaging or handling of a plurality of shells.
Therefore, a long standing need has existed to provide a novel bowl or shell which is a food product in itself for holding additional food items and wherein a plurality of such shells may be readily packaged together in a stack for shipment and transportation purposes without breakage.